August 20th 2024.
Maria Branyas, a remarkable woman who was born in the United States but spent most of her 117 years in Spain, has passed away, according to her family. In a heartfelt post on her X account, her family shared the news in Catalan, stating that "Maria Branyas has left us."
They went on to say that she passed away peacefully in her sleep, just as she had always hoped. Despite her advanced age, she was free from any pain, which was a blessing for her and her loved ones. This is in line with her wishes, as she had always wanted to go peacefully and without suffering.
The Gerontology Research Group, an organization that verifies the age of individuals over 110, had recognized Branyas as the world's oldest living person after the passing of French nun Lucile Randon last year. The next oldest person on their list is now 116-year-old Tomiko Itooka from Japan.
Born on March 4, 1907, in San Francisco, Branyas spent her childhood in New Orleans, where her father founded a magazine. However, her family eventually moved back to Spain when she was still young. She often reminisced about her journey across the Atlantic Ocean during World War I, a memory that stayed with her throughout her long and eventful life.
On her X account, she was known as the "Super Catalan Grandma" and described herself as "old, very old, but not an idiot." At the age of 113, Branyas tested positive for COVID-19 during the pandemic, but fortunately, she did not experience any severe symptoms like many other elderly individuals in Spain did.
Sadly, she passed away while living in a nursing home in the Catalan town of Olot. According to her family, just days before her death, she told them, "I don't know when, but very soon this long journey will come to an end." She also expressed her desire to meet death with a smile, feeling free and content after a life filled with experiences and adventures. Her family will always remember her as a strong and inspiring woman who lived her life to the fullest.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
